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Quarterly Newsletter of the Army of the Wabash. The mission of the Army of the Wabash is to function as a governing body of the Midwestern regiments dedicated to the historic preservation of the US Civil War heritage, and legacy.
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ARMY OF THE WABASH
1
Army Of The
WABASH
ARMY OF THE WABASH
ARMY OF THE WABASH Established in 2012
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
Welcome to the quarterly membership newsletter of the Army of the Wabash.
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
2
CONTENTS
Leadership &
Affiliation
2
Letter from the Editor 3
Colonel’s Desk 4
Off the Wire 6
Letter from Stan 8
Photo Gallery 10
Joel’s Corner 14
Current Attendance 16
Guide On Travels 18
More from Ron 20
Web Links 21
Calendar 22
Army Of The
WABASH Quarterly Newsletter of the Army of the Wabash. The mission of the
Army of the Wabash is to function as a governing body of the Midwest-
ern regiments dedicated to the historic preservation of the US Civil War
heritage, and legacy.
AOW COMMAND STAFF
Ron Wilkins Colonel
Nick Leach Lt. Colonel
Will Behrman Sergeant Major
Stan Hurt Chief of Staff
Ivan Guillermo Vargas Communications
AOW MEMBER UNITS &DELEGATES
ARTILLERY
19th Indiana Light Artillery Phil Coleman
21st Indiana Light Artillery Ziggy
CAVALRY
4th Indiana Cavalry Rob Frost
7th Indiana Cavalry Rob Brack
NAVAL
Naval Bob Dispenza
MEDICAL
Medical Fred Schafer
CIVILIAN
TBD
INFANTRY
4th OVI Co. B Trent Boham
6th Indiana (Vernon Greys) Terry Furgason
11th Indiana Mike Beck
12th Indiana RJ Hagee
14th Indiana Co. A Eric Wilson
19th Indiana Co. A Gerald Siler
19th Indiana Co. K Ron Wilkins
19th US Doug Roush
20th Indiana Co. B Dave Crane
30th Indiana Russ Gilliom
32nd Indiana Co. B Jeff Stein
42nd Indiana Co. H Joel Foust
44th Indiana Jesse Poe
49th Indiana Co. F Rob Van
ARMY OF THE WABASH
3
So, Gettysburg has come and gone.
And because of that, “he” had to go
too.
You know who I’m talking about. My
bro-merang , my cookie duster, my
crumb catcher, my lip rug, my dirt
squirrel, my face fitting, my face furni-
ture, my flavor savor, my handlebar,
my lady tickler, my lip toupee, my snot catcher, my soup
strainer, my upper liphostery, my ‘stache. Yes, the fabled
150th Gettys-
burg is gone,
and my wife is
now delighted
that the my
old face lace
is gone with it.
About a week
after I returned
back from
Gettysburg, I
went to the
w o n d e r f u l
people at
Vee’s Barber
shop in the
Geist area of
nor theastern
Indianapolis to
have my first
professional wet
shave. A wet shave virgin, if you will. After being offered a
complimentary beer while I waited, Joe the barber
WITH IVAN GUILLERMO VARGAS
introduced himself, and showed me to the chair. I spent
the next few minutes having various potions rubbed onto
my skin, until finally I’m buried under several layers of hot
towels (to open the pores.) Very quickly, you begin to see
the appeal of a professional wet shave as you begin to
immerse yourself in a soothing, sensual, and relaxing expe-
rience. Even the shaving cream is warmed, and you
begin to appreciate the barber’s attention to the shaving
ritual itself and his meticulous care. I'm shaved twice,
downward with the grain, then up against the grain with a
fresh new blade, the barber pulling my skin tight as he
goes along to
a v o i d a n y
snags. We fin-
ished with cold
towels (to close
the pores) and
an aftershave.
The entire expe-
rience took
about 30mins,
and cost me
$25 without tip.
And just like
that, 2 months
of facial toil was
removed.
It was a won-
derful way to
wrap up a long,
exhausting and
memorable Get-
tysburg week. It was a pleasure marching with all of you
and I look forward to showing off my face in Hartford City
(minus the womb broom!!)
https://www.facebook.com/
ArmyoftheWabash
Find Us On The Internet
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Ivan “Gorillamo” Vargas, the newsletter editor, before and after his trip to Vee’s
Barbershop to have his face hamster removed.
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
4
History buffs know the importance that the three-day bat-
tle of Gettysburg played in the Civil War, but few will know
what an honor it was to participate in the 150th anniver-
sary events.
The men of the Army of the Wabash, fortunately, are
among the men who paid homage to those brave federal
soldiers by portraying their deeds and heroism during the
four-day event on the fields north of Gettysburg. The
event was too long and too hot to get into the minutia, so
I'll hit some of the high points.
The Army of the Wabash was fortunate to portray Hoosier
regiments three of the four days. We started off the event
honoring the 19th Indiana on the first day; we portrayed
the brave lads of the 20th Indiana on the second day, and
we finished our salute to Hoosiers by recreating the 14th
Indiana for the East Cemetery Hill battles.
We were fortunate to have Will Eichler as our brigade
commander, who lobbied for us to honor these regiments.
Thanks, Will. The Army of the Wabash stood in the Army's
ranks as the 2nd battalion, 1st brigade, 3rd division. More
than once during the weekend, the 1st brigade receive
compliments from division. Similarly, the AOW repeatedly
received high praise from brigade.
I'm very proud of the discipline and fighting spirit showed
by the AOW during the event. And yeah, I know that
sounds corny since this hobby is pretend fighting. But any-
one who was on the field during Pickets Charge likely felt
the sense of urgency -- real or not -- as a massive wall of
Confederates surged toward the federal lines. In Gen.
Dave Shackelford's correspondence after the event, he
wrote of the AOW, saying, "The Army of the Wabash con-
ducted themselves like veterans despite this was their first
effort as part of a Division."
One of the highlights of the event was the fist fight Satur-
day during division formation. Hey, we figured the provost
hadn't done anything all weekend. We might as well make
him earn his keep.
As the division of more than 600 men stood at attention
Saturday, a fight broke out between the 2nd and 4th com-
panies, and chaos ensued. I caught a glimpse of Keith
Harrison, the division chief of staff, running at full gait from
the center of the division to find out what was going on,
and I noticed brigade officers starting toward our battalion
too.
By Saturday evening, rumor spread through the entire ar-
my that we had a fight in our ranks, and a couple AOW
folks from artillery stopped by to see what happened. By
Saturday night, the AOW boys who attended the social
events grew the tale, adding something about a hospital
and tying the air ambulance that landed Saturday to the
fight. God only knows what the rumor was by the end of
the weekend.
Good times and great memories. Certainly, the stories will
grow taller around our campfires as everyone involved
adds a little to the tale.
One final note about Gettysburg -- a personal note: I was
a honored to participate in 150th Gettysburg knowing we
were remembering Hoosier boys who fought there. I am so
very proud of how well the Army of the Wabash per-
formed. You all knew the drill and responded well as we
got into formation for the fights, and you boys brought to
life the memories of our forefathers who fought and died
there.
I count myself fortunate to have commanded the AOW
during the event, and I am humbled by the honor you be-
stowed upon me. Thank you, boys.
Ron Wilkins
Colonel, Army of the Wabash
FFFROMROMROM THETHETHE CCCOLONELOLONELOLONEL’’’SSS
DDDESKESKESK . . .. . .. . .
ARMY OF THE WABASH
5
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
6
SEPTEMBER
150th Battle of Chickamauga
September 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2013
838 Dougherty Gap Rd. Chickamauga. GA
If Interested contact Ryan Williams via Facebook
Vermilion County Civil War Days
September 28-29, 2013
Kennekuk County Park in Danville, Illinois
If Interested contact Ron Wilkins via Facebook
Lincoln & Civil War Days
September 28-29, 2013
Memorial Park, Lebanon, IN
If Interested contact Rob Van via Facebook
Covered Bridge Fest
September 28-29, 2013
Crown Point, IN
If Interested contact Dave Crane at 219-306-6779
OCTOBER
Columbus Crew Soccer Match
October 5, 2013
Columbus, Ohio
If Interested contact Trent Boham via Facebook
151st Battle of Perryville
October 5th and 6th, 2013
Perryville, KY
If Interested contact Chad Greene via Facebook
REENFORCEMENTS NEEDED!!
It's difficult to imagine being in this hobby in Indiana for any
length of time and not knowing Steve Bouldin, and if you
didn't know him personally because you're newer to the re-
enacting community, you probably recognized his face.
Sadly, Steve died July 18.
From what I learned, he was at work, running cable in an
attic when he was overcome by heat. Unfortunately, no
one knew of his condition or got to him soon enough to
reverse the damage. He died a day or two after the inci-
dent.
Sitting here writing this, I still find it hard to imagine going to
an Indiana event and not seeing Steve, sharing a beer with
him and catching up on things. Hartford City is going to be
different next month without him there.
Steve came up
through the ranks
of Co. A, 19th Indi-
ana, serving in
every role the hob-
by offered. He was
well respected in
the old Cumber-
land Guard, where
he served as any-
thing from a pri-
vate to a battalion
commander. He
also was a respect-
ed officer for the
Black Hat Battalion,
which is an organi-
zation similar to the
AOW portraying the units of the Iron Brigade.
We will take some time at Hartford City to allow Co. A to
memorialize their fallen friend, and we -- the AOW -- will
also take a few minutes out of our day to recall what a
friend Steve was to us.
By Ron Wilkins
OFF THE WIRE
Farewell, Steve Bouldin
ARMY OF THE WABASH
7
The 14th Indiana, which traditionally has been unable to
attend this event, will be there with a company. Also, the
20th Indiana, a relatively new group, are expected to have
a strong showing too. Specific camping locations will
come out later this month. Any suggestions for Hartford
City's event, please get them to me ASAP so we can incor-
porate them into the weekend if practical.
If you haven't been to Hartford City in a while, this might be
the year to come back for a visit.
By Ron Wilkins
Congratulations to
Jenna & Will
Married Aug 31st.
Events seem to
fall into the
same old rut,
year after year
after year. And
once in a rut, it's
difficult to climb
out of it. But eve-
ryone in the
AOW leadership
is committed to
doing things dif-
ferently than we
have in the past.
You don't want
the same, tired
event, and we
don't want to
lead the same
tired exercises at
these events. So
anything new is good, and we're open to suggestions.
With that said, Hartford City (Oct. 11, 12, 13) will be differ-
ent this year. Not enough so that it scares away the tried-
and-true supporters of the event, but enough to possibly
entice some to return to it. Certainly, we'll do the morning
memorial service, if the event chooses to have one. And
yes, we'll have to do drill. But perhaps the battles might be
different, and the camps might be different. I won't give
away the surprises. If you want to see, come out.
I will tell you that the artillery camp is moving off of the hill
it traditionally has occupied for decades. And all of the
infantry, including the 49th, will all camp below the hill, out
of site of the 3M plant. So there should be more opportuni-
ty for first-person exchanges without modern intrusions. I
also would welcome the opportunity to bring the cav and
medical's camps closer to the infantry, so that we all are
camped close enough to get to know one another. By
having the camps all together, it should build the esprit de
corps among the different troops, companies and batter-
ies. Expect the camps to be a little tighter than in recent
years because there will be more federal soldiers attend-
ing.
Hartford City, 2013
Have something for the Newsletter?
Send all photos, articles, info or announcements to Ivan at:
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
8
GETTYSBURG JULY 2013
Attending the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg battles
as a staff officer for the 3rd Division gave me a unique view
of the event. I arrived on Monday morning with some of
the staff to lay out the 3rd Division camp for our two Bri-
gades and five Battalions. Re-enactors started arriving on
Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for the battle on
Thursday at 1pm.
The 3rd Division staff of General Shackelford consisted
of 10 officers and men. My job as AAG was to receive or-
ders from Federal Headquarters and relay them to the Bri-
gades. I also consolidated the morning, weapons, and
after battle reports from the Brigades and forwarded them
to Federal Headquarters. I accompanied General
Shackelford and Chief of Staff, Major Keith Harrison to the
daily briefings by the Army General and his staff. At those
meetings the battle plans were presented and orders were
issued to the four Divisions.
A lot of time was spent on
logistics including the water
and ice located on the bat-
tlefields. The failure to per-
form as the Army General
wished resulted in some ci-
vilian personnel changes
with the result that by Satur-
day, the logistics problems
were solved.
My job on the battlefield
was to position the Division
Colors near the General so
couriers could find him with
orders. I carried the wireless
communications with chan-
nels to the Army General
Staff and the Medical Of-
ficer. I would inform the General of pertinent information
coming from the Federal and Confederate staffs. The
communications was important to keep the battles scenar-
ios in some semblance of the original plan.
My secondary responsibility was communicating to the
Medical Officer any casualties that needed removal from
the field. Surprisingly, with over 600 troops in 3rd Division, I
only made three calls for assistance. Most of the heat ex-
haustion cases were handled on the field with ice and wa-
ter. This speaks well of the physical condition of the troops
in 3rd Division, as some days the temperature was in the low
90s with heat indexes close to 100.
Now I want to brag a little about the 3rd Division. As
the only Midwestern Division in an Eastern event, we defi-
nitely proved our abilities. We were the biggest Division
on the field, and we were always in battle formation on
time. I won’t go into detail about the long delays, but
some of the problems stemmed from the failure in get-
ting water and ice on the field. The Federal Headquar-
ters staff was very open in complimenting our battle tac-
tics and overall performance. The Brigades were timely
in submitting reports so that our reports to Federal Head-
quarters were on time. In summary, we had fewer prob-
A STAFF OFFICER’S VIEW
AS THE ONLY
MIDWESTERN
DIVISION IN AN
EASTERN EVENT,
WE DEFINITELY
PROVED OUR
ABILITIES.
BY STAN HURT
ARMY OF THE WABASH
9
lems, complained less, and it was appreciated by the Fed-
eral Staff.
If you sometimes wondered why an Australian in British
uniform was carrying our colors, here’s the story. Brad
Manera, executive manager of the ANZAC Memorial in
Sydney, contacted me and wanted to join us. I thought if
someone would travel from Sydney, Australia to Gettys-
burg, he certainly deserved the chance to join us. Our Divi-
sion Color bearer on the second day chose to be a bugler
and Brad filled in for him by carrying the Colors. Brad can
be described as a walking military history encyclopedia
and he kept the staff entertained with stories of British and
Australian military history. Our division commander, Gen-
eral Shackelford, is also an expert on European military his-
tory and the two amazed us with their knowledge. Brad
has many years of reenacting experience, including the
famous battle of Waterloo. In comparison to other reen-
actments, our Gettysburg event far outshined anything he
has seen. He was thrilled to be among people who readily
accepted him, a true Midwestern trait, not always the case
in his experiences in other countries.
As the event concluded on Sunday, the skies opened
up and the rain that had held off all week soaked us as we
left the battlefield. The week was a visual experience that I
will always remember. It was a pleasure to share the expe-
rience with members of the 49th Indiana Volunteers and the
AOW. We proved ourselves on the battlefield at Gettys-
burg, and our military skills will certainly grow, but most im-
portantly, our friendship with each other around the camp-
fire is the true reward.
Major Stan Hurt
3rd Division AAG
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
10
BY RUSSELL HAYS
PHOTO GALLERY
ARMY OF THE WABASH
11
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
12
P h o t o m e m o r i e s
By R.HAYS HTTP://PHOTOMEMORIESBYRHAYS.ZENFOLIO.COMHTTP://PHOTOMEMORIESBYRHAYS.ZENFOLIO.COM
ARMY OF THE WABASH
13
P h o t o m e m o r i e s
By R.HAYS HTTP://PHOTOMEMORIESBYRHAYS.ZENFOLIO.COMHTTP://PHOTOMEMORIESBYRHAYS.ZENFOLIO.COM Most of the photos used in this newsletters were graciously provided by Russell Hays. If you wish to
purchase any, please visit his website at HTTP://PHOTOMEMORIESBYRHAYS.ZENFOLIO.COM
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
14
BY JOEL FOUST
Editor’s Note: The following is a seg-
ment from “Oilcloth & Painted Accou-
terments” by Jack Cox provided here
by Joel Foust.
“Painting” was a 1800’s method of
waterproofing cloth for such items as knapsacks, haver-
sacks, belts, cartridge boxes and ground cloths. Properly
done, the fabric does become very waterproof, but retains
its flexibility. There are many different recipes for both
"period accurate" oilcloth and for a modern version that
looks the same, but without some of the problems of the
1850's recipe. The paint is generally applied over cotton
drill or linen canvas. The instructions below discuss the mak-
ing of ground cloths, but the same procedure applies to all
painted goods.
Modern Recipe:
While this recipe is obviously not authentic, it produces the
same look and feel as the original methods. The final prod-
uct looks, feels and wears as close to the original as most of
us can approximate today. However, you need to make a
decision as to whether you
want to "fake it" with a mod-
ern approximation when a
good period recipe is availa-
ble.
Materials: Wallpaper sizing.
Get it pre-mixed and ready to
use. Flat black or semi-gloss
interior latex paint *** Boiled
linseed oil Mineral spirits paint
thinner Japan dryer (All of
these materials are available
at any good paint store)
Method:
1. Using a roller, paint both
sides of the cloth with the wall-
paper sizing and let it dry. It should
take an hour or less. The sizing will prevent the paint from
soaking the cloth, and it will give it some "tooth" for paint
adhesion.
2. Using a roller, paint one side of the cloth with the black
latex paint. Let it dry overnight.
3. Mix 2 parts of mineral spirits with 1 part boiled linseed oil.
Add Japan dryer. Use 1 oz. (2 tablespoons) per pint of
paint.
4. With a brush, paint the sized side of the cloth with the
linseed oil mix. Let it dry. This may take several days, de-
pending on temperature and humidity. It's NOT wise to let it
dry in the house.
5. Paint on two additional coats of the linseed oil mix. Let it
dry between coats.
*** There is a variation of this recipe that works very well
also. Instead of using plain latex paint, mix 2 parts of latex
paint with one part of boiled linseed oil. Stir it thoroughly,
then follow the instructions above.
Period Recipe:
This recipe is an approximation, since the original recipe
specified "litharge," or lead monoxide (PbO) which is ex-
tremely poisonous.
Bright Idea: Leave out the lampblack, and you have a reci-
pe for a nice civilian waterproof cloth. I strongly recom-
mend this recipe because it is about as authentic as you
can get without putting life and limb in danger.
Materials: Boiled linseed oil Mineral spirits paint thinner (or
turpentine) Lampblack (comes in tubes or dry powder) Ja-
pan dryer Corn starch
Method:
1. Make a sizing by boiling about a quart of water and
adding cornstarch mixed in cold water until the mixture
becomes a little syrupy.
2. Paint the cloth with the cornstarch sizing and let dry.
JOEL’S FIX-IT CORNER
ARMY OF THE WABASH
15
3. Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with one part
of mineral spirits. Add lamp black until the paint is
a very opaque black. Add one oz. (2 tbsp) of
Japan dryer per pint.
4. With a brush, paint the cloth with the black-
ened linseed oil and let dry. This can take several
days.
5. Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with two parts
of mineral spirits. Add one oz. of Japan dryer per
pint.
6. With a brush, paint the cloth with the clear
linseed oil mixture and let it dry. This can also
take several days. Two coats of this mixture
should give the results you want. (You can omit
the cornstarch sizing if you want, but the oil-
based paint will pretty much soak the cloth.)
Confederate Ordnance Manual Recipe:
There is a recipe from the 1863 Confederate Ordinance
manual which I have not tried. Use at your own risk.
Materials: 28 Parts lampblack 1 Part Japan varnish 73 Parts
boiled Linseed oil 1 Part spirits of turpentine 1 Part litharge
(substitute Japan Dryer for this. Litharge is lead monoxide,
and is very poisonous.)
Method:
1. Mix the ingredients, using 1 oz. (2 tbsp) of Japan dryer
per quart of paint.
2. If you don't want the paint to totally soak the cloth, size it
with cornstarch as in the period recipe above.
3. Apply 2-3 coats until the desired sheen is obtained.
Turpentine-base Recipe:
This recipe comes from "Young's Demonstrative Translation
of Scientific Secrets - 1861." This recipe will
sound familiar in materials and proportion, but uses turpen-
tine instead of mineral spirits for a thinner. Hazard
Warning: The recipe uses litharge (poison hazard) and
the mixture is boiled (fire hazard).
Materials:
• 1 pint of spirits of turpentine
• 1 to 1 1/2 pints of linseed oil
• 1 lb litharge
Method:
Combine all materials in a large metal bucket. Litharge
reacts strongly to aluminum and zinc. Do not
use an aluminum or zinc coated vessel. Boil and stir until
thoroughly mixed and dissolved. Paint on the
cloth. Let dry in the sun.
This recipe will give a clear to reddish or yellowish color,
depending upon the base color of the litharge.
The first coats could be tinted with lamp black to make a
glossy painted oilcloth.
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
16
2013 AOW ATTENDANCE
Unit CP
May 18
CP May 19
Conner Prairie GAC Jul 6
GAC Jul 7
Gettysburg HC Oct
12 HC Oct
13 Hartford City
Artillery (Counted in Pieces on Field)
19th Indiana Light Artillery 1 1 1 1 1 1
21st Ind Light Artillery 0
Cavalry
4th Ind Cavalry 0
7th Ind Cavalry 14 14 14 0
Infantry
4th OVI 8 11 11 0
6th Indiana (Vernon Greys) 3 0 3 0
11th Indiana 7 8 8 8 7 8
12th Indiana 0 0 0 0
14th Indiana Co A 15 12 15 14 15 15
19th Indiana Co A 6 4 6 0
19th Indiana Co K 3 6 6 6 7 7
19th US 0 0 0 0
20th Indiana Co B 0 0 0 7 7 7
30th Indiana 6 5 6 0
32nd Indiana 1 1 1 1 1 1
42nd Indiana 6 3 6 2 0 2
44th Indiana 13 11 13 12 15 15
49th Indiana Co F 29 25 29 22 21 22
112 101 119 73 74 78 0 0 0
AOW ATTENDANCE
ARMY OF THE WABASH
17
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
18
BY BILL COMBS
If anyone has made it to an Army of
the Wabash event in the past year or
so, they would have seen our mighty
army guide-on flowing bravely in the
most blustery of winds. It flew gallantly
at the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg
this past summer campaign. For those
that made it to that event, you were
lucky enough to see our most excel-
lent guide-on serve its last tour of com-
bat. The reason for this is that having
only signed the 3 year papers, the Army of Wabash Guide-
on bid took its leave from Col. Wilkins at Gettysburg. The
colonel left on Sunday night and continued on with the rest
of the army as the guide-on stayed in order to rest up and
gather its strength for the long journey home.
The guide-on, experiencing free will for the first
time in its life, was unsure on what to do with itself. It con-
cluded that it was best to start off by returning home to the
Hoosier state. Once there, it paid homage to one of the
member units of the Army of the Wabash by paying its re-
spects to the 14th IN at the Terre Haute Civil War Memorial.
Knowing that it's hard to get a good job without a
college education now-
adays, the guide-on de-
cided to check-out Wa-
bash College. A school
that has a try connection
to the Union effort when
many of her sons an-
swered Lincoln's call for
volunteers. The most
prominent of these sons
being Major General Lew
Wallace. The guide-on
took a peak into Forest
Hall which is the original
1832 school house but
now houses the Wabash
teacher education de-
partment. Later, it looked
on the honored steps of
the Wabash Chapel from
the Mall. However, it was
sorely disappointed
when it found out from
the Associate Dean of
Students, William Oprisko,
that the guide-on's previ-
ous academic accom-
plishments did not meet
Wabash's standards. The
guide-on was unfortunately denied
admittance to the college.
All was not lost, however.
The guide-on would not let Wabash
ruin his visit to Crawfordsville, In. It
toured the towns most prestigious
sites including the home of former
Indiana Governor Henry S. Lane and
the Lew Wallace's personal study
where he wrote his best-selling novel
Ben Hur. Unfortunately for the guide-
on, the museums were already over-
staffed on tour guides despite its ex-
cellent references and qualifications.
The brave little guide-on was
not discouraged. Instead, it pur-
chased a Saturday pass to Gencon
Indianapolis! With the 49,000 people
that were going to the event, the
guide-on was sure that somebody
would have a place for him. Woeful-
THE “GUIDE ON” MOVES ON
ARMY OF THE WABASH
19
ly, it was not the banner the Imperial Stormtroop-
ers were looking for. Nor was it willing to follow the
God-Emperor of the Imperium of Man from the
Warhammer 40,000 universe and it barely es-
caped the stringent commissar clutches. The
guide-on almost made it into the forces of Cygnar
but the warjack's grip was a little too tight for
comfort. In fact, the guide-on barely escaped
intact as the sheep hosts of Mayfair's Bob & Angus
Show hungrily stalked the poor, lonely guide-on
around the trade floor. The guide-on, dejected,
left Gencon with a heavy heart as joyous nerds,
geeks, and dorks continued to celebrate some of
the only days of the year when they don't have to
face the fear of wedges and swirlies on a con-
sistent basis.
From the point on, the tale of the guide-on is un-
clear. There are rumors that guide-on is heading to Chicka-
mauga, Lebanon, and even Hartford City in hopes of find-
ing it's true home. If you wish to know the conclusion of the
guide-on's forlorn travels across the country, then I highly
suggest attending any one if not all of these events. Help
the guide-on find its home so that it may enjoy the rest of its
life with companionship and not retire alone.
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
20
Ever since I started re-enacting, I've
wanted to improve -- improve my uni-
forms, my impression, my knowledge
of the drill, my understanding of the
soldiers' lives.
Fortunately, I had mentors along the
way suggesting books to read, advis-
ing me on what vendors to purchase
from and what vendors to avoid. We
need more mentors who know this stuff, so in the June
AOW newsletter, I discussed having resource people who
could be contacted for anyone having questions about
drill, accurate impressions or other questions about how to
improve our kits.
I have to admit that volunteers have been slow to step
forward, and I understand that. Everyone's busy.
But I have two names to throw out for authenticity for uni-
forms and camp
life impressions.
They are Greg
Swank of the
49th Indiana
and Joel Foust
of the 42nd Indi-
ana.
Both of these
guys have flaw-
less kits and
h a v e r e a d
about the uni-
forms and camp
life of the com-
mon soldier.
They've also ex-
perienced more
p r o g r e s s i v e
events without
being tainted by
the elite attitude
that has turned
many away
from attending
those events.
If you have questions about what type of equipment to
purchase to improve your impression, I encourage you to
seek out their counsel. They're on facebook and they're
approachable if you see them at events. Both are great
guys with solid impressions.
I have a few names for experts on the drill, customs of ser-
vice and regulations, but I need more. So I hopefully, I can
release those names in the next newsletter.
Until then, if you're looking for more information about what
life was like as a Civil War soldier, I highly recommend you
pour over the book "Hardtack and Coffee" by John Billings.
Billings didn't know when he was writing his memories of the
war, but he was creating the essential how-to book for Civil
War re-enactors. If you haven't read it, you should.
BY RON WILKINS
IMPROVING YOUR IMPRESSION
ARMY OF THE WABASH
21
Unit Website
ARMY OF THE WABASH Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ArmyoftheWabash
11th Indiana indiana11th.tripod.com
14th Indiana Co. A coa14thind.org
30th Indiana www.30th-indiana.org
42nd Indiana Co.H 42indiana.wix.com/home#!
44th Indiana www.44thindiana.org
49th Indiana Co. F www.49thindiana.com
4th OVI Co. B www.freewebs.com/4thovi
6th Indiana (Vernon Greys) vernongreysmilitia.yolasite.com
7th Indiana Cavalry 7thindcav.org
** Please contact Ivan Vargas ([email protected]) if you have a link you would like to add here.
Web Links
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
22
ARMY OF THE WABASH
23
2013 Max Effort Events
Potential 2014 Events
EVENT LOCATION DATE
Army of the Wabash Meeting Conner Prairie 11:00 a.m, Feb 9, 2013
** Conner Prairie Fishers, IN May 17, 18, 19 2013
** Gettysburg Gettysburg, PA July 4, 5, 6, 7 2013
** Event Hartford City, IN October 11, 12, 13 2013
EVENT LOCATION DATE
Atlanta Hampton, GA September 19, 20, 21 2014
EVENT LOCATION DATE
Army of the Wabash Meeting Conner Prairie 11:00 a.m, Feb 9, 2013
Sassafrass Tea Festival Vernon, IN April 26, 27, 28 2013
Crown Hill Ceremony (150th Anniversary) Indianapolis, IN May 27, 2013 (12:00 noon)
Steam Museum Hesston, IN June 21, 22, 23 2013
Event Corydon, IN July 12, 13, 14 2013
Event Hastings, MI July 19, 20, 21 2013
Event Knightstown August 2, 3, 4 2013
Morgan's Raid Jackson County, OH August 16, 17, 18 2013
Event Richmond, KY August 23, 24, 25 2013
Event Chickamagua September 19, 20, 21 2013
Johnney Appleseed Fort Wayne, IN September 19, 20, 21 2013
Lincoln Days Lebanon, IN September 27, 28, 29 2013
Angola Civil War Days Angola, IN September 27, 28, 29 2013
Atlanta Hampton, GA November 1, 2, 3 2013
Other 2013 Events Supported by AOW Units
CALENDAR
Vol. 2, Issue 3 | Fall 2013
24
En route from Springfield, Illinois to his
first inauguration in Washington D.C.,
Abraham Lincoln’s train stopped in
Lebanon on February 11, 1861, where
he addressed the citizens of this small
Boone County town.
LLINCOLNINCOLN’’SS LLEBANONEBANON & CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTMENT
LL INCOLNINCOLN ’’SS LLEBANONEBANON & &
CC IVILIVIL WWARAR RREE --
ENACTMENTENACTMENT
WHAT IF HE HAD WHAT IF HE HAD
STAYED TO VISIT?STAYED TO VISIT? On September 28th, that’s exactly
what he will do, visiting with the
citizens of Boone County who wish to
meet him, enjoy a photo op, and
listen to him speak. Come meet a
great icon of American history.
September 28 September 28 -- 29, 201329, 2013
Memorial ParkMemorial Park
TWO FUN DAYS OF ACTIVITIES
At noon, Saturday, the President speaks at the histori-
cal marker in front of Family Video on South Lebanon
St., before traveling to Memorial Park where he will re-
main until 5 PM.
A full encampment of both Union & Confederate
troops will be present in the park
Several food vendors will be on hand, offering a variety
of tasty items.
Civil War demonstrators will be on hand
ARMY OF THE WABASH
25